Newton and Gravity: The Big Idea - Couverture souple

A good case can be made for Isaac Newton being the finest mind humanity has yet produced. His theory of gravity offered his contemporaries their first glimpse of how the universe actually works, and his mathematics enabled later generations to walk on the moon. Today, we know that gravity keeps our feet on the ground, but how many of us know how Newton's greatest discovery really works? In Newton & Gravity, Paul Strathern encapsulates several of Newton's more mind-expanding discoveries, explaining in lively prose their cultural context as well as Newton's early obsession with science (bordering on dementia) that made his revolutionary vision possible. Just a few of the big ideas covered here are:

Newton's discovery of calculus at age twenty-three Why gravity, one of the greatest human insights of all time, was in fact a hunch and how it actually works Why it took Newton twenty years after his discovery to reveal to the world the secret of gravity and planetary motion

Ideal for the intelligent reader eager to better understand how and why the universe works the way it does, Newton & Gravity is a fascinating refresher course that makes physics not only fun but shockingly easy to understand.

At a moment of great discovery, one Big Idea can change the world...

Newton's observations on motion, gravity and light revolutionised the world and opened up humanity's understanding of the universe. Today his work is taken for granted, but in the context of modern times, to what extent can we appreciate the 'gravity' of his theories?

Newton and Gravity tells the captivating story of Newton's life as an eccentric teenager, devout Christian, paranoid recluse, arrogant genius, and obsessive alchemist.His is a captivating tale of the universe as seen through the eyes of a highly erratic yet astonishingly brilliant individual.Exceptionally told, the immeasurable impact of Newton's Big Ideas are examined in a detailed yet accessible way.

The Big Idea series is a fascinating look at the greatest advances in our scientific history, and at the men and women who made these fundamental breakthroughs.